YouTube has just launched a complete redesign of their video playback page. If you want to try it out, you will have to opt in. Alternatively, you can see the changes from the screenshot below this post.

One main feature removed from the old design is the 5-star rating system. The new system now involves “Like”-ing and “Thumbs down”-ing (Dislike) a video. Liking a video adds it to your favorites, while a “Thumbs down” (Dislike) really does nothing apart from telling YouTube that you don’t like that video. I find this system rather crude; YouTube should have separated “Like” and “Favorite”. Some people may want to “Like” a video, but not add it to their “Favorites”.

Some other changes are:

The HD video button is now more specific; You can select 360p, 480p, 720p or 1080p.

Many user actions and information are now moved below the video. You can find the video description, sharing links, video embed code, video link, video statistics, flagging, liking/favoriting and disliking options there.

The uploader’s name and the “Subscribe” button is moved above the video title. You can see other videos that the uploader has uploaded by clicking on a drop down box. A line filled with the uploader’s videos will appear when you click it.

The comments interface is now more streamlined. The comment input box is placed above the list of comments, rather than below them in the old user interface.

The design isn’t final yet as YouTube is still gathering feedback from its users. What do you think of the new design?